A BIRTHDAY celebrator giving gifts to his guests is really unusual. Usually, it’s the other way around.

However, for Ice Seguerra’s 41st birthday on Friday night, September 13 (although his actual birthday was September 17), he opted to surprise all those who watched his fourth in the series of concerts, “Videoke Hits: OPM (Original Pilipino Music) Edition.”

Music Museum was packed and there was nary any vacant seat. “Pinasaya niyo ang birthday ko,” an overwhelmed Ice told his audience. “This is your concert, so if you want to sing along, go ahead.

This is videoke, not a singing contest.”

The night also marked Ice’s 37th year in showbiz. He was only five when he emerged as a runner up in the “Little Miss Philippines” contest on “Eat Bulaga.” Yet, he was the one who carried on the popularity of the contest for many years.

Clearly, the Music Museum concert was the night of videoke addicts. As early as 6 p.m., there was a long line outside the long deck of stairs at Music Museum that bled into the mall. Excited fans waited to do videoke, one of the favorite pasttimes of Filipinos.

After host Boknoy enjoined the full-house audience with popular sing-along pieces that had the crowd singing – Wency Cornejo’s “Hanggang,” Jessa Zaragoza’s “Bakit Pa?,” Moonstar 88’s “Torete,” The Neocolours’ “Tuloy Pa Rin” and The Eraserheads’ community singing of “Magasin” – the much-awaited Ice was introduced.

“The ultimate videoke addict, madamot sa mic, acoustic diva” welcomed the excited audience – couples, friends, family, senior citizens, LGBTQs – to his videoke world.

He opened the show with “Christmas In Our Hearts,” Jose Mari Chan’s popular anthem that always ushers in the Yuletide season, the longest for Filipinos. “Nauna na ako sa kanilang lahat,” Ice happily addressed his audience.

After he sang Regine Velasquez’s “Dadalhin,” fans were shouting “I love you” from the audience. Ice was undoubtedly overwhelmed.

“Lalapitan ko kayo to sing,” Ice warned the crowd. “Kahit mayor, pakakantahin ko,” referring to Quezon City mayor Joy Belmonte, who was in the audience that Friday night night.

“This (concert) started as a very small show,” Ice said. “But this successfully went on from one show to another. Liza (Diño) added her ideas. Tonight, this is the fourth videoke concert. So, welcome to the videoke world.”

Ice carried out popular and easy to render tunes that were mostly familiar with the fans. Ella May Sayson’s “Till My Heartaches End,” Ella del Rosario’s “O, Lumapit Ka,” The Company’s “Now That I Have You.”

“This next one ay para sa mga mahilig magbalot,” warned Ice as strains of Sharon Cuneta’s “Bituing Walang Ningning” were played. Half of the time, Ice was down from the stage as he enjoined “jammers” from the audience to gamely sing.

The concert was very intimate. Aside from the fact that the audience could sing, never mind if they were sometimes out of tune, everybody was welcome to croon and even belt out the tunes they heard from Ice.

Surprisingly, Ice wasn’t originally a singer. Admittedly, 37 years in the entertainment scene was full of challenges that made him question, “Is this the right path for me?”

“Nalaos ako at nawala from the scene,” he humbly told the audience. “Pero pinabalik niyo ako bilang singer. In the nineties, I learned to play the guitar and sing. Hindi nagbago ang love ninyo sa akin. Maybe I have a purpose.

“I’m still humbled. I didn’t come from a showbiz family. My family is so simple Sino ako to have that honor to be a part of your lives? But you welcomed me into your lives.”

Ice paid tribute to three of his “heroes” who are pillars of OPM (Original Pilipino Music) by singing their hits – “Narito” by Gary Valenciano, “Kahit Isang Saglit” by Martin Nievera and “Sa Kanya” recorded by Ogie Alcasid and penned by Ito Rapadas.

Ice also acknowledged his “idol” Joey Albert and rendered “Ikaw Lang ang Mamahalin.” He said of Joey, “She didn’t have to shout to get the song across when she sings.”

Then, he acknowledged the bands who inspired her in the ‘90s before she dished out original band ditties in his set list. “Because of them, I learned to play the guitar and sing,” Ice said.

The audience sang with Ice when he rendered Rivermaya’s “Forever By Your Side,” Yano’s “Banal na Aso, Santong Kabayo,” Rizal Underground’s “Bilanggo’ and The Eraserheads “Alapaap.”

He allowed the audience more to “Jam With Ice,” when he delivered the following tunes with “same old soul” Louise, one of the young talents of Fire and Ice, also the presenter of the concert – “Sundo” by Aia de Leon of Imago, “Buwan” by Juan Karlos Labajo, “Jopay” by Mayonnaise and “Narda” by Kamikaze.

Ice gave in to the popular requests that were turned in even before the concert started – Ben and Ben’s “Leaves,” The Company’s “Muntik na Kitang Minahal,” written by Babsie Molina and Edith Gallardo and National Artist Ryan Cayabyab’s “Araw Gabi.”

Ice regaled the audience with more ballads – “Paki Sabi na Lang,” Chiqui Pineda’s/Gary Valenciano’s “How Did You Know?,” and Ice’s own hits –s “Para Lang sa ‘Yo,” “I’ll Be There for You” and “Ano’ng Nangyari sa Ating Dalawa.”

He apparently extended the concert to entertain the audience more. The audience didn’t leave their seats even if it was after eleven p.m. already, nearly three hours into his set list. And they cannot be any thankful.

We will not be surprised if another videoke hits concert will come in before the holidays.